NFL Draft World Gets Weird — and Peter Woods Is Officially a Monster
Every year, NFL draft season brings hot takes, bold projections, and the occasional comparison that makes you stop, reread it, and laugh out loud.
This year, Clemson defensive lineman Peter Woods got all three.
Danny Kelly’s latest NFL Draft Guide dropped last week, and as usual, it didn’t shy away from creativity. Kelly has built a reputation for turning draft comps into pop-culture events — the kind that make draft coverage feel less like homework and more like entertainment. Past comparisons have ranged from Ricky Bobby to SpongeBob SquarePants to Paul Bunyan.
Now? Enter science fiction.
Kelly compared Woods to the giant sandworms of Arrakis, the terrifying creatures from Dune known for their massive size, overwhelming power, and instinctive reaction to rhythmic movement.
“Much like the giant sandworms of Arrakis,” Kelly wrote, “Woods possesses incredible power and shocking agility and is attracted to the rhythmic footsteps of a quarterback’s dropback.”
Absurd? A little. Accurate? Honestly… yeah.
Woods has been that guy since the moment he stepped on campus. He’s built like a defensive tackle but moves like someone 20 pounds lighter. Offensive linemen don’t just lose against him — they get overwhelmed. He collapses pockets without needing a clean pass-rush lane, and when quarterbacks start their drop, Woods feels it.
Kelly projected Woods ninth overall to the Kansas City Chiefs, a scenario that would pair him with one of the league’s most creative defensive minds and potentially have him replacing an aging Chris Jones. If that happens, good luck to AFC quarterbacks.
While Woods stole the headlines, he wasn’t the only Tiger to get first-round love.
Avieon Terrell came off the board at No. 24 overall to Cleveland (via Jacksonville), and the comparison was a little more grounded — but no less flattering.
Kelly described Terrell as “like if A.J. Terrell had a little brother.”
At Clemson, that’s about as clean a compliment as it gets.
The comparison isn’t lazy. Both Terrells are undersized by NFL standards, both thrive in man coverage, and both rely on technique, leverage, and length rather than pure size. The knock is the same, too — tackling consistency at the next level. But corners who can lock receivers down on an island always find a place in the league.
As for Woods, the sci-fi angle is fun, but the football comp that really fits lives a little closer to reality.
Think Jeffery Simmons.
Simmons is slightly taller and slightly lighter, but the play style lines up almost perfectly. Both are violent at the point of attack. Both dominate against the run while still offering legitimate pass-rush upside. And both have that rare combination of raw power and unexpected quickness that separates good interior linemen from game-changers.
If Woods develops into the kind of pro Simmons has become, a top-five pick won’t feel ambitious — it’ll feel inevitable.
That’s the exciting part for Clemson fans.
This isn’t projection for projection’s sake. Woods and Terrell aren’t getting buzz because of recruiting rankings or name recognition. They’re getting it because NFL evaluators see traits that translate — strength, movement, instincts, and competitiveness.
Draft season is long, and comps will change. Mock drafts will shift. But when national voices are comparing your defensive tackle to a mythical desert monster and penciling him into the top 10?
That’s when you know Clemson’s next wave of NFL talent is very real — and very loud when the quarterback starts dropping back.